Memory Shift
by deathbyinsomnia
Summary: Tod never forgot that day, neither did Copper. They can't deny what they feel for each other, but the web strings are pulled too tight. They just might get cut.
1. The New House

As we pulled up to the four-story house, my stomach sank. I missed my band. I packed a few boxes on top of each other, each one labeled with my name. I brought the boxes into the house and went to the fourth floor, Chief said my room is on this floor.

I go to the end of the long hallway and there's two doors. One to the old dumbwaiter, the second my room. I open the second door and see a big room with 3 open doors and a closed one. A large bathroom, a small closet, a spare room, and the room which has a closed door leading to it, all connected to my bedroom. _Awesome._

I put the boxes down and get the rest of my boxes of things. After setting them all in the corner closest to the door, I open the closed door. I am met with a rush of cold air and the smell of mothballs. I laugh inwardly,_ this must be the attic_. I leave the door open to get the smell to settle a bit and open one of my boxes that I put clothes in.

I loaded all my clothes into the dresser Chief brought in earlier. They also put my bed in here,_ all set to go_. I take off my converse and socks and go into the bathroom to take a shower. Everything was on, water, electricity, heating, all the doodads needed in a good house, already. I walk barefoot onto the chilled black and white tile. The shower has a fixable nozzle that you take off as you wish. The shower itself ended with a tub that was long enough for my entire body to lay flat in it. I smile like a giddy child, my lip ring pulling along with my skin. _I feel like a king!_

After I got out, I put on a pair of black basketball shorts and a white fitted tee. I walked over to the other side of the room, past my bed and over to a box seat under three windows that made half a hexagon. I sat on the soft crimson cushion and placed my palms on the small overhang under the connected windows. I look out and see thick, dense woods._ We didn't have that back in Texas. A forest view. Just miles of dirt. Wet dirt, dry dirt, clumped dirt, cracked dirt, it got old fast._ I smiled, _I think I'll like it here._

After watching the sunset, I hear the moving truck pull away and my uncles yell up to me, "G'nite, Copper!" Although, Chief always said _squirt_ half-jokingly under his breath. I went to close all my doors when I notice the attic door is still open. I could practically hear it calling to me. I got an LED flashlight and went inside.

The floors creaked quietly and the wood was smooth, which, being barefooted- I was thankful for. I went around, what looked like, a couch covered in photography equipment. Then, in a deep corner, I saw an antique mirror, half-covered by a white sheet. Pulling it down, I got a better look at the Victorian-styled piece.

I see, now, that it is a black-trimmed mirror with intricate designs carved into the wood. Waves and archangels decorated the, five-inch thick, wood. The angels, all male- I noticed, intertwined fingers, all standing together against an unknown enemy as the waves crashed around their feet. I smiled and lugged the heavy thing into my room. I put it next to my closet and hung it up a few inches off the floor. Satisfied with the finding, I set my alarm clock on the headboard's shelf and place my ipod and phone beside it. The second my eyes close, I dream of something that makes me cringe.

**_I am watching myself, _that_ me is laying next to some boy I've never seen before, both of us asleep. The boy's orange hair covering his face. Suddenly, I'm back in my body and as he wakes up, he shifts slightly, as if getting up to leave and (in the dream) I dart awake. He strokes my cheek, "I didn't mean to scare you." I frown involuntarily at this, though I don't know why. Then he smiles and wraps his arm tighter around my waist, pulling me closer. I didn't notice his arm was there, but it had been. Not only that, I can feel heat from our chests. Meaning we're half naked, and we're only wearing boxers. Fucking perfect. I inwardly facepalm, since when am I a manwhore? I watch from behind my eyes irritably as I wrap my arms around his neck. I frown, within myself, still unable to see the cocky bastard's face. He smiles and pulls me tighter, again, to his chest and leans his lips towards mine-_**

I hear my alarm and, being on the edge of my bed, I fall _gracefully(take note of the sarcasm) _onto the floor. I feel a scowl harden my facial features. _Damn hormones. I don't even like redheads._ I get up, painfully, and get a pair of black skinny jeans and a Disturbed tee shirt, taking off my clothes to replace them. After I do, I put on the clothes and add a spiked leather wristband on my left wrist and a studded one on the other. I put on a thin amount of eyeliner and frown as I poke at the dark freckles spread across my nose and cheeks. _Stupid freckles._ I roll my eyes at them and get downstairs to the kitchen, grabbing a big, juicy, green apple and bottle of water. Passing through the kitchen door and into the garage, I get in the truck and drive to school. _My first day, in the middle of the year... God help me. I'll need it._


	2. First Day Eloquence

I drive up to the school and park in the student lot, looking at the sign it reads "The Huntington Huntsmen! Drive around!". I scoff at this, I can already feel the "whore"-mones from girls running around in skimpy skirts. I look to my left and see a bunch of Varsity pricks walking past with a girl on each arm. I roll my eyes and get my backback, putting my ipod earbuds in my ear. Time to ignore the entire student population.

It's become a game with my patience. How long I can deal with the people around me before wanting to kick their ass. I never do, of course, but it doesn't stop my dreams of killing them multiple ways. Or, sometimes, my dreams go _Jigsaw*_ on their asses. I laugh inwardly and turn on the MP3, it flips to _Sally's Song by Amy Lee _as I look at the schedule I received in the mail.

* * *

><p>Looking at it, I frown and see my classes:<p>

_**First Period:** Study Hall, Room 003  
><em>

_**Second Period:** Art, Room 001  
><em>

_**Third Period:** Lunch  
><em>

_**Fourth Period:** Gym, West Building(in Courtyard)  
><em>

_**Fifth Period:** Creative Writing/ Poetry, Room 003_

* * *

><p>Let me clear this up, yes, I have no core classes. Why? Last year, a month before summer break, my uncles warned me that we were going to move at any time. So, out of rebellion, in my own way- I spent their money on school.<p>

I spent all the money they gave me to do my senior classes online so I wouldn't have to do them in a different state. I couldn't graduate because I didn't have enough Arts credits so I joined a independent class/club for school bands.

It was for people who were in bands(not school sponsored) to hone their skills. Still counted as a music class. So, I got my credits by taking that, and a few menial classes during the first half of senior year.

Now I'm here. Why? This school district, unlike the one I was in before, required a half year of gym classes. If not for that, I'd be graduated. _Feel free to boo**_.

I frown, _Room 001 and 003?_ I look around, all the numbers are in the hundreds. I go up the stairs and see the rooms are in the two-hundreds. I go to the bottom of the stairs and see a small staircase. _Aha. Then, it's in the basement. _I take the idea that I can figure that out without looking throughout the entire school a very, very small victory. I walk down the stairs slowly and go inside the Study Hall room and no one is there except a teacher with an angry scowl on his face, reading a thick book. The man looks up at me and smiles slightly, "Cobra-Lee Slade?" I shake my head slightly, "It's Cobre. Ko-bray Lee Slade" The man shrugs, as if disappointed and asks offhandedly as the boy sits down, "Anything you would rather be called?"

_Copper!_ The name flits through his mind so quickly that it barely registers, he ignores it. "Lee is fine." The man, late thirties but has frown lines deeper than canyons around his mouth. "I'm Butch Harden, though you can call me Boomer. You seem nice enough." The man laughs quietly, as if savoring in a hidden joke. "Everyone should be here soon. If I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes up. No one talks in here. Only 3 or 4 kids have this class." I guess the confusion showed on my face because he interjected, "Most kids here hate study hall, they assume they are forced to study and pick other classes instead." I say normally, setting my bag down and sit next to his desk. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not the social type."

The man made a booming laugh, apparently the source of his nickname. "Well, you seem to be doin' well enough now, boy." A thick, southern slur etched into his words and I laughed a little. "Not really." His smile faded and I sat down, opening my bag and getting my MP3 out. A mousy-looking girl with black hair that was spiked in multiple areas, green streaks throughout her hair. The black jeans she wore were form-fitting and worked well with the green and black checkered hoodie she wore. She sat next to me and flashed a smile, leaning towards me. "Hiya." she said in a sweet and hyper tone of voice, completely shocking me. She was a little loud. Okay, a lot loud. I looked at her and stuck my earbuds in my ears, hoping she would pretend I didn't exist. She took out the earbud closest to her and said mockingly, "Still here. Now, that was rude, you know.

I couldn't help but chuckle. I look up and notice a girl and a guy, on opposite sides of the room give me death glares. I tilted my head slightly, smiled wide(without showing teeth), and flipped the bird. They turned away, rolling their eyes, I heard Boomer chuckle somewhere behind me. "Gutsy little fuck, ain't cha?" she says, giggling a little. "Whatever." I say under my breath and she scoots(more like bulldozes) her desk next to mine and uses the earbud she took out and put it in her own ear. "Hm. Fall Out Boy, not bad." Then she taps her fingers rhythmically to _What's This*** _according to the beat.

A smile turns up the corner of my lips, "You're a drummer." She looks over in the most innocent (while also being sarcastic) manner I've ever seen and she lets every word drip from her tongue. "What was your first clue?" I half-smirked, I liked her already.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A.N.<br>**_

_***Jigsaw, as in the Saw movies, in case someone doesn't know xD**_

_****Yes, one of my favorite lines. Can you guess what it is? PM me your guess and I'll tell ya if you're right  
><strong>_

_***** OH MY EFFING GOD YES! BEST SONG EVAR! XD  
><strong>_


	3. A Familiar Figure

After the end of that period, I realized she was in a few of my classes. We have first period together, Study Hall, second period together, Art, and last period, Creative Writing/Poetry. She had English for fourth, almost stifling a laugh at my confusion. "We get two electives of our choice, a study hall, and one main course that circulates throughout the year." she explained with a smile, making me feel less stupid. I was grateful for that. Then again, that would make kids a lot happier and willing to work. Though, most holiday breaks are spend in school or to minimum capacity. Summer is untouched, thank God, but why should I worry? I'll graduate this year anyway.

I walk to the room next-door and sit on an empty stool, the girl sitting beside me. We never introduced ourselves. I inwardly facepalmed, wow, failure. I smiled, asking, "So, what's your name?" She laughs, as if savoring in a secret joke, "Adah-Bane Lauralee McCarthy." I smile, "Cobre Lee Slade." We both laugh, "What does your name mean?" she asks calmly, snuffing out her laughter. "Nothing, my parents told the person to write 'Cobra'(for some weird reason) and the woman, who was a newbie who barely spoke English wrote 'Cobre'." She tilts her head, "Wait, if the woman knew what the word meant, she must have wrote something in Spanish, right?" I nod, "Yup. Cobre is the Spanish word for Copper." She smiles widely at this, and I say under my breath, "When I was a newborn, my eyes and hair were the color of copper, but as soon as I got a full head of hair- it turned brown with black in it, my eyes too." I regain my composure, looking around, no one has arrived yet, not even the teacher. "My name is complicated." she says with a snicker. "How so?" I ask curiously.

"Well~," she swings her feet on the stool, looking like a proud, but flustered, child. "Adah means beauty, Bane is short for Bernard (my father's name) which means brave as a bear, so 'beautiful, but brave as a bear'. And Laura, roughly, means 'crown of heroes' just added with the 'lee' to make it prettier. McCarthy means, again, roughly, loveable one. Funny name, huh? That's why I just go by Bane." I smile, "It's a great name, really." We exchange smiles as the teacher walks in. "Help me set up, would ya?" he asks politely, setting his stuff down and walking over to us.

He's short with dirty-blonde hair, hazel eyes, and has a perma-frown glued to his face. Think a short, pudgier, version of Luke Skywalker from the 6th Star Wars movie and he's this teacher's twin. "I'm Richard 'Dick' Dickens, if you call me 'Dick', you are dead so call me either "Richard, Dickens, Mr. Richard, Mr. Dickens-" I cut him off as we set up the easels and canvases, "How about Dickey?" He laughs, smiling, almost. "Haven't heard that one in a while, sure, why not?"

After we set up, the warning bell rings and a group of kids file in, picking a stool. I sit beside Bane, my left side empty. The warning bell rings for last call and a boy rushes in. "Glad to see you could join us, Thaddeus." Dickey says wryly as the boy sits next to me, "Bite me, Mr. D, I'm not late." He sighed, "Not this time, anyway." The teacher walks away and I look at the boy next to me. He's wearing designer jeans and a tee shirt for some expensive store I'd never go in, he's leaning over to set down his backpack, his orange hair falling in his face. I am looking out of the corner of my eye and instantly look away. _Wait. Hold the fucking phone. Wasn't the guy in my dream...?_ I close my eyes, ridding myself of the thought. Impossible. I'd never seen the guy before. It's a coincidence.

"So class, the school has given you all the opportunity to draw, sketch, sculpt, paint, whatever, a model from the university." His face contorts, "It will be nude models, so please be professional." A couple high-fives are heard, then scoffing girls. No surprise here. Bane and I look at each other, "Which are you gonna draw?" she asks, "Female." I respond, "Me too." I look at her strangely, "What? Is it wrong?" I shake my head. "The curves and everything are a lot softer on a female, making it harder to draw. I'm always up for a challenge." I laugh, "Yeah, same here." The boy next to me looks around awkwardly then leans next to me, "Hey, are you new?" I nod. "Would you mind lending me a pencil?" I shrug, "Not really, I grab one from my pocket and hand it to him. He smiles, his amber eyes lighting up, "Thanks, uh," "Lee." I respond. "Thad." he says with a smile, "Thanks, again."

The models come in and we are all given a small box to put around our work, so no one can see while it's in progress. Much to many of the guys' dismay, the girl and male model had a towel around their waist, low enough to see the spot right before 'unknown territory' but nothing beyond that. For this, I was glad. I felt less awkward drawing the woman. She was beautiful, though. Long, ebony hair, light blue eyes and light skin. The bell rang and I had just finished the outline. Have to wait until tomorrow.

We all put ours in the privacy boxes, locking them up and shoving the key into our pockets. We all headed to lunch. This school was clique'd, like any other, but on a much larger scale. Every clique had three people, at most, per group. "The Plastics' Revenge" Bane called it. We ate in the bed of my truck in the student parking lot. The bell rang, soon after finishing our lunches, and we separated as I went to the worst class in the history of education, besides Math, Physical Education.


	4. Sparks of Friendship

I went into the locker room and chose a spot in the back corner to change, praying no one would find me. I put on my fitted white shirt and my black basketball shorts that I'd worn the night before, the only pair of shorts I own, might I add. I didn't dare look into a mirror, I knew how I looked. Scrawny, short, and pathetic. I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it back as it fell in my face. I locked up my stuff in the locker and left on the final blow of the coach's whistle, sitting at the rim of students, waiting for instructions. "Hello, maggots, I'm Coach Winters and I hate you all." he said with a stoic expression, to be interrupted by a pitchy, male voice. "Oh, shut up, Coach- for real, man!" I looked over, unable to find who'd said it. The teacher grinned, laughing. "I'm kidding, you can do whatever you want in this class as long as you're moving. You could walk around the gym and text, I really don't care. Just have fun, okay?" Cheers surrounded me and I tried not to cover my ears from the noise. It was so loud.

I decided to sit up in the bleachers hidden in the rafters and listen to my ipod, hoping the coach wouldn't see. The coach noticed and gave me a small smile, putting a finger to his lips. "I won't tell if you won't." he mouthed and I smiled. Who knew? Not all teachers are assbutts. I waved a thanks and played "Look Through My Eyes" by Phil Collins, reveling in the music. I'd wanted to do an acoustic cover at one point then decided against it. My band didn't like "pussy music". In other words, anything without raging guitar riffs. I like lots of music, unlike them. They turned themselves into posers, I stayed true to myself as much as I could in my music. I didn't hear the footsteps, I was too focused on finding a song.

Thad sat beside me and took my right earphone, placing it in his own hear. "Hi." He inquires and I respond with a simple "Hey." He smiles wide, "This is Firestarter by Prodigy, but it's covered by Jimmy Eat World, right?" I nod and he grins, "God, where did you find the EP? I've looked everywhere but can't seem to find it." I had probably spoken more words today, to this guy, than entire week's worth for me. "I found it at a record shop near my house. Only CDs they carry are ones that are hard to find." He smiles broadly, "Hey, I know you don't know me and I don't want to bug you or anything, but would you mind showing me where it is?" My jaw dropped, I barely knew this guy. "Uh, sure?" He smiles again, getting out a piece of paper and writing a phone number on it. "Call me and tell me where you live so I can take you to school tomorrow, we can go to the shop on the way, and I'll take ya home after school too if you want." I nod, who exactly is this guy, trusting in a complete stranger? I stick the number in my pocket and glance down at the gym, seemingly unaware that he even left.

"What about your image?" I ask, noticing he's wearing the school's basketball jersey. "You mean this?" he asks, pulling out the collar a bit. "Oh, the teammates are fuds, they hate me already. I don't think this will make much of a difference." He says it, cracking a grin and my first thought is _how does it **not** hurt to be hated_? But I bite the thought back and silence it. "Mind if I chill up here with you, Lee?" he asks and I nod, sticking my ipod in my pocket as we listen in silence, not speaking. Looking back, I should have been uncomfortable to the point of moving or feeling the need to talk. But I didn't. His presence was casual, as if I was used to him around. We each shared half of the armrest of the connecting chairs, not moving until the bell rang. Once I stood up, he smiled a bit at me. "That was fun, maybe tomorrow?" He doesn't make me answer, walking to the locker room. I wait until everyone's gone until I go inside and change swiftly, going to my next class.

Returning the first room of the day, a heavyset, dark-skinned woman with a broad and welcoming smile ushered students in. "Come on babies, we don't have much time! Inspiration hour is upon us all!" I laughed slightly, sitting in a chair in the small circle. "Well, seems we have a new student. What's your name, baby?" I smile slightly, "Call me Lee." Her grin broadens, "Nice name, hon. Now, guys, today we are writing free verse. Choose a topic of your own design and run with it! Have fun!" She smiles and there's a knock at the doorframe, I look over my shoulder, Thad? He smiles at the teacher, "Sorry, I'm late Big Mama." She laughs, "Boy, you can't call me that at school, you'll get skewed looks. I'm only your neighbor." I smile at the exchange and he sits beside me. I look around, everyone who notices me smiles politely before returning to their poems they're writing. "Oh, I forgot Lee, I'm Ms. Cherry Applebomb." she says with a wide grin. "But she likes being called Big Mama." Thad whispered loud enough for her to hear. "I heard that, you ornery boy!" she says with a laugh. "But do you mind?" I ask. She shrugs, wrinkling her nose a bit as she smirks, "Course not, baby, I'm everyone's second mama around here, ain't I ya little critters?" Everyone gives assorted smiles, yeah's or nods. I smile to myself, writing a poem I remembered making when I was a child.

* * *

><p><strong><span>First Impressions<span>**

**First impressions are an interesting thing of nature's creation**

**One of the few things instinct manages to get wrong**

**All coming from meeting someone unknown to you**

**Someone very unknown to you, and you to them**

**Meeting people is a really scary thing**

**Until you actually do meet them**

**They may be nice people**

**For all you really know**

**They could be great**

**A butcher**

**A baker**

**A candlestick maker**

**Who knows until you ask**

**Reach out of your shell and give it a try**

**They could turn out to be your best friend**

**Tip the hourglass upside down, if you will try it**

**And experience a special friendship that transcends all of time**


	5. Too Many Coincidences

After class ended I walked to my car and sent a text to Thad:

**_Hey, Thad, it's Lee._**_ -Lee_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Hey, hold on, I'll save your number now.<em>**_-Thad_

_(a few minutes later) _

_**So what's up?** -Thad_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, I'm about to drive home, can I talk later? <strong>-Lee_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Sure, sure. Text me when ya get home then, I guess. <strong>-Thad_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Uh, ok? Text you later. <strong>-Lee_

* * *

><p>Once I got home, I decided to call instead. "Hey, Lee, what's up?" he asked. I was pacing my room, like I always did when I was on the phone. "Oh, nevermind, I bet you're pacing, aren't you?" I stopped mid-stride, "How'd ya guess?" "Call it instinct?" "Are you reading my mind or something, you did something like that earlier."<p>

A laugh, "No, but here. Let's both try something. Guess my favorite color." "Orange." I said confidently. "Correct." he responded. "What's mine?" "White." he responded. "...Correct."

"Favorite movie of mine as a kid?" he asked slowly, as if scared to hear the answer. "Total Recall." "...Correct." "Mine?" I asked and he laughed. "The Breakfast Club." "Goddamit." I responded, no one ever guessed it right before. "This is getting creepy, man." he responded.

"Yeah, no shit. Let's try something really hard. Favorite animal?" I responded nervously. "Fox." "Correct." I responded, unaware of how to take this. We both took a deep breath. "Beagle." I quipped and I heard his breath hitch. "This is beyond my mental capacity man." "I barely know you and yet it's like we've met before..."

"But that's impossible, right?" he asked and I nodded to myself. "Utterly impossible." I agreed. "Then how...?" he asked, confused. "No idea..." I trailed off. Everything was happening much too fast and, to be frank, I was more than unprepared for it. I immediately hung up with him after saying our curt goodbyes. I sat at the window and looked up at the stars. I wondered if Mom and Dad saw them too, and thought of me.

I got in bed and started drawing, trying to draw the boy I'd seen in my dream. The first dream I'd had when I moved into this house. The longer I took to draw it, the more it seemed... _off. _Like something was altered or missing. I erased the face, and it seemed more perfect than before. I frowned, thumb-tacking* it to the wall beside my bed. Maybe I'll remember later.

I put in my earphones, begging myself to stop thinking of that boy. I can't remember anything about him. Most of my dreams are in black and white. I can't even remember the guy's name now. I knew it must have been said. But my brain is working on overdrive.

I _need _to calm down. I toss my ipod on my bed and jump in the shower. After I'm clean, I sit in the bath, running warm water. The water stings my legs. I lay back with my head against the rim and pray for clarity. I dip underwater and let the water run through my hair. I hold my breath as long as I can before I spring up, suddenly feeling the need to check my phone.

I grab it from it's spot on the floor and flip it open. _ONE NEW TEXT MESSAGE._ I click _VIEW _and realize, obviously, it's from Thad.

**_Hey, uhmmm, wanna hang out at school tomorrow?_**_-Thad (Five minutes ago)_

I feel my phone vibrate. _ONE NEW TEXT MESSAGE._ OH MY GOD DUDE! I click _VIEW again._

_**If you don't want to, that's fine. **-Thad _

I sigh and respond to the message.

**_Sure, dude. I'll see you tomorrow. _**_-Lee_

I laughed slightly, getting out and wrapping a towel around my waist. _He seemed a bit clingy, I guess it's a red-head thing_. I laugh to myself, _how horrible am I? _Once I get in my room, I change into my pajamas and open my window. Looking around first, I climb out of the window and onto the small dormer roof from my window, sticking out of the house.

I lean my back against it and prop my feet out, crossed at the ankles. I get 2 instantaneous texts, one after the other, but they have the same unfamiliar number.

_**Hey, it's Bane, I got your number from your student I.D., hope you don't mind. -**Bane_

_**Oh, and I forgot, I have your student I.D. I'm an office aid so.. remind me to give it to you. **-Bane  
><em>

I laugh, _Wow, that was almost creepy. __No, wait. Still creepy._ I look up at the stars for a while and then climb back inside the house. I go and eat some leftovers then go upstairs to go to sleep. Once I get on my bed, I climb in and slowly drift to sleep. Then, the dreams start again.

The dreams of the river, where that boy is. I'm guessing he and I meet there. Why not at one of our houses, I have no idea. I feel a strange closeness to him, as if I've known him for years. But, deep down, I know I haven't known him longer than a week or so. We're 8, that much I can tell from how tall we are. I can't see what I look like, even though I'm watching from a short distance. It's always the same.

One would leave their hand on the other's just a second longer than needed. Then, they- me and that person- hold hands. I feel as if this person is my other half, something I felt I've admitted only once before. Longingly, I wonder if I'm love with that boy. But it's impossible, he can't be real. Right?

* * *

><p><em><strong>A.N.<strong>_

_*** Yes, thumb-tacks are now a verb. Deal with it! :D  
><strong>_

_**Well, nowadays, any noun can be a verb so pssh I ish awesome**_


	6. What Everyone Deserves

After waking up, the first thing I did was brush my teeth and hair, then went into the closet to change. Ignoring the growling of my stomach, I'd skipped dinner and my stomach made sure I'd regret it. It was working. I'd had another weird dream as well, but unlike the last one, it seemed completely and utterly real. Like, instead of a dream, it was a faded memory I'd forgotten about.

**_I was in a river, playing with a boy who liked to smile. He smiled no matter what he felt, and I envied his smile. At one point I was so jealous that I pushed him and he fell over. Then, once he landed he asked me why I pushed him, "Because I want your smile, Todd!" I'd yelled at him he smiled impishly, yanking my wrist. I fell on top of him and he kissed my lips ever-so-briefly. "Now it's yours, and only yours, Copper."_**

At that point, I woke with a start, a ghost of the lips remaining on mine. I set my head against the shower wall as the hot water ran down my back. Due to the heat of the water, I had to breathe in pants, the humidity of the air hardly bearable. Feeling nauseous from the amount of hot water, I laid down on my cold linoleum floor after getting out, towel around my waist. I lay on my side, my cheek against the cool floor. As soon as I felt better I got up, got dressed in a tee, a hoodie, my leather jacket, skinny jeans, scarf, and gloves. Then I called Thad. "Hey, I'm ready when you are." "Be over in a few." I grabbed my bag and sat outside on the steps, waiting. Once he got in the driveway, I was impressed. A '67 black Impala**_*_**. I just about wanted to cry at the beauty of the car. "Toss your bag in the trunk and we'll get going." I nodded, putting my bag in the trunk then closing it, sitting in the passenger seat. The streets were dark from winter.

We drove in silence until we got near the vinyl shop. "Take a right, then a left and it's the third store on the right." Pulling on the side of the road, we arrived just after opening time, noticing it was still dark out. Without thinking, I didn't even check my clock when I got up. "It's 5am." "Yeah?" Thad answered, looking around. "School doesn't start for like three hours." "More time for us and time to go get breakfast then, hm?" I nodded, immediately grabbing the CD he was looking for. "I guess so, here it is." He smiled, observing it before checking out. "What's your favorite band?" he asked as we walked next door to a Starbucks. We each got our selected drinks and doughnut, sitting at a table. "Hm, I guess it would be-"  
>"Three Days Grace." he and I said at the same time.<br>"How'd you do it that time?" I asked.  
>"I didn't," he smiled, taking a bite of his doughnut, "I just said my favorite."<p>

We exchanged a glance and smiled, "I feel like you're my best friend." he said wistfully, taking a sip of his french vanilla cappuccino I nod, taking a sip of my black coffee. "Same here... want to try it? Being friends, I mean." He smiled, "We're already friends, let's try best friends." I nod a little, watching him. He smiles a shy smile, one that makes me envious. "So, your name is Thaddeus, right?" He nods, "Lee?" I nod, "But my first name is Cobre." "Copper?" the nickname makes my heart stop. "That's what it means in Spanish, right?" I nod and he smiles, "Mind if I call ya Copper?" I shake my head and he smiles. "You know, you look more like a Tod than a Thad." I say with a laugh. He chuckles, "Small world. That's my middle name, Todd, I mean. Not small world. That'd be weird." We break into laughter, and I say between giggles "We probably look like we've gone 'round the bend." "You mean, like loons?" I nod, unable to stop laughing.

We finally catch our breath when he looks at his watch, "We should go, or we'll be late." I nod and we leave, getting in the Impala. Once we get to school, I am about to head straight for my first period when he stops me. "Where ya goin', Copper?" "First period." "What do you have?" "Study Hall."

I see his face change to shock, "As in 'The Boom'? How did you survive going yesterday?!" I roll my eyes slightly, "He's a nice guy. You just have to give him a chance." Todd stopped and sighed, "Alright, then. I'll go to SH with ya to see for myself." "Wait, what?" He was already headed towards the stairway. "Come on!" he yelled and I bolted after him. _Wow. Someone actually listened to me. That's a first._ I got in step with him and he smiled, "So, about giving people a chance... why did you give me one? Most people don't since I'm 'star of the basketball team' and assume I'm a snob." I bite my thumbnail, talking around it. "For one, it was my first day, I didn't know jack-shit about who you were. And two, everyone deserves a chance, no matter how much someone else disagrees."

He stops and I turn around as he's frozen in place, "Come on, Todd." He makes a confirming hmph sound, smiling at me as we walk down the stairs. Either this guy really likes to smile or he thinks he's some incarnate of The Joker. Hm, probably the latter. I mean, hell, a guy can dream, right?

* * *

><p><em><strong>A.N.<strong>_

_**Sorry, I just LOVE THAT CAR! I WANT DEAN'S CAR SO BAD D':**_

_**For those who have no clue what I mean, watch the show Supernatural, you deprived human being.**_


	7. Gathering the Pieces

I greet my teacher and he acknowledges me with a slight nod. "I see you brought a jockstrap with you." "The name is Thad, sir." He smiles, looking up at the orange-haired boy from his seat. "I know who you are, it was just a joke." Todd laughed, "Not funny, Mr. Boom I just about pissed myself thinking you were gonna come at me with a machete or something." Boomer laughed deeply, a laugh Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn't even compare to. "I think I'll steal your little Lee away if you don't mind, sir." Boom smirked up at him, folding his newspaper in half and laying it on his desk. "Really now, boyo? Why?" Boom's voice catches a slight Irish accent to it and I try to refrain from laughing.

"I need him for a project, for photography." he smiles and the teacher nods, "Alright, but make sure you boys don't get into any mischief of it's me who'll pay for it." Todd nods, leading me out and once we get onto the back of the school and go out the exit, I realize something. "Don't you have a class to walk to?" He smiled, gesturing for me to sit on the half-wall with him. I plant my hands on it and jump up, pulling myself backwards onto the concrete divider. I almost fall back but he pushes me forward slightly, "Careful!" I laugh, "If I fell, it'd be much too late to say that."

He frowns, pouting, "Idiot, you could'a broke your neck." "Says the guy who invited me up here." He cracks a smile, "Good point, Copper. Now, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" I nod and he jumps down, landing on his feet as he grabs a camera from his backpack. A manual one I'd only seen (well, similar to his, anyway) in Chief's old suitcase from his childhood. "What do you want me to do?" I ask, running a hand through my hair. He snaps a picture, smiling. "Be yourself."

I nod, laying backwards on the wall and staring at the sky, one hand behind my head with the corresponding knee bent, foot down as my other arm hung off the wall. I heard a _click_, "Great, do another." I want to laugh at myself, I feel so natural. It must be because these are 'poses' I do all the time, alone or not. I hold the position except sit up and wrap an arm around my bent knee, my chin resting on it as I stare off into the distance. _Click._ I take the silence as my cue to move positions. I sit with both my legs dangling off the wall, my hands between my legs, my hands bunched together, like a kind of stable to hold me up as I look innocently into the camera with a small smile. _Click._

I pull my knees to my chin and rest my cheek of them, facing the camera as my eyes gloss over and my smile fades. _Click._ I hold out my hand toward the camera with a smile, like an invitation. _Click._ I jump off the wall, landing with my fists to the ground, I look up at the camera. _KA-shick._He smiles, "End of the roll. Great job, that was fantastic. Have you modeled before?" I shook my head, "First time." He smiles, leaning on the wall behind him as he slides carefully into a cross-legged sitting position. "You're a natural."

We hold eye contact for a while and I feel myself drift towards him. I get down onto one knee, sitting on my haunches as I watch the sun drift across his eyes. Eyes so familiar. "Copper, hello?" He asks and I look up at him from the top of my eyes. His head is leaned comfortably against the wall and his smile seems no longer forced for my sake, but a simple and relaxed one. I smile in response, and he says quietly, "I like it when you smile." "Likewise," I say, my grin growing as I sit by him. Shoulder to shoulder, we watch the sun rise. Soon enough, the bell rings to head to first period, he made no move to stand.

"Aren't you gonna go?" I ask and he laughs, "I already said I was going to borrow you so I can't take ya back now." I smile, rolling my eyes. "And your main course?" He smiles, "All done. Doubled classes through the years." "Impressive." He rolls his eyes, "You do the same?" I laugh, "Hell no, just did Senior classes over last summer." He nods and we sit in a comfortable silence for a while before he leans against the wall beside him. "Wake me up for second period so we can go together." I nod and he closes his eyes, once he starts snoring I know he's asleep. Then it stops, being replaced by mumbling. I lean close, trying to listen in. "Copper," he mutters. "Where are you? You said you'd wait for me..."

I blink and shift back, this is no longer my business. _Maybe he's just messing with me. Yeah, it has to be. I mean, why would he say my name in his sleep? Really now, Lee, you're going nutty._ Then, just to joke back, I lean in and whisper in his ear: "Todd? What do you mean? I'm right here. I never left." The sad expression on his face brightens, even with his eyes closed. "I knew you wouldn't go to Texas without me." I scoot back, pulling myself away._ I never told him I lived in Texas. I never moved to Texas, though, I always lived there. Or, at least, I think so. I mean, Chief and Amos never mentioned otherwise. They'd tell me about something like that, right?_

_Of course they would. There would be no reason not to, but looking at the relieved expression on Tod's face makes me wonder._ I reach out to touch his cheek when he jolts awake, staring at me wildly. "Copper." is all he says and I nod slowly. In his mind, I see him trying to piece something together. What, I don't know, but it's there. Then, the bell for second period rings and he and I walk to art class slowly. No words of exchange. Nothing, as we head to the lockers to get our pieces. No one notices us together. Not like they would, anyway.


	8. These New Feelings

We start on our works again and Bane and I don't talk either. I focus on the soft lines and shadows on the woman's skin. I shade in the shadow under her breasts, completely immersed in my sketch. _I couldn't think of anything else._ Working on the small muscle contractions in her neck, the bell suddenly rings, making me jump and mess up my line. I snarl, erasing it and redoing it before locking it up.

I feel Bane's hand on my shoulder and I turn as she smiles weakly, "Lunch?" I nod and she walks away, leaving me with Dickey and Todd. Todd finishes what he's doing, locks up his drawing and walks out with me as we head towards the lunchroom. Once I get towards the parking lot exit, I stop. "Ya not goin'?" he asks, looking at me. I shake my head, "Eating with Bane." He nods in understanding and goes in the cafeteria, while I meet Bane on the swings. Silence. "Lee?" "Yeah?" "Something's up with you and Heat Miser."

I laugh, _Todd, a Miser? Let alone, the Heat Miser, ha, what a thought!_ "Stop motion animation, such wonderful times." She glares, "Really. Something's radiating off the both of you and it doesn't look good." We are silent. How did she know? I wonder... "I have Wiccan blood in me, Lee, thanks to that I have a few abilities." I'd heard of Wicca, it was a wonderful Pagan religion, I believe my mother was Wiccan as well, but by choice, not blood. "What kind of abilities?" she seems caught off guard by my question. "I assumed you'd think I was lying." she responds softly.

"But you weren't, right? So go on, tell me." She takes a breath, swinging a bit on the swing, "I see auras, sometimes I have... dreams, and I can perform small acts of magic." I nod, knowing what she meant. "These dreams... do you mean lucid, ones that you can see the future?" She nods, "And sometimes the past." I go silent as she stops swinging abruptly, planting her feet in the mulch.

"Lee, as much as I hate to say this: follow your gut with Thaddeus. The absolute second you start feeling weird or uncomfortable, get the hell out. Do you get me?" I shake my head slowly and she stands, "Now, I need to call my girlfriend, I'll see you later." I leave her be as she makes the call, as I walk away I hear a calmness to her voice as she smiles an 'I missed you'.

Once getting inside, I sit in the corner beside the bottom of the stairs, where a small overhang of the stairs above hide me from wandering eyes. I lean against the wall and pull a coke bottle from my bag and take a drink. I look in my backpack taking into account if I brought everything, not like I put much in the bag in the first place, though. Sketchbook, pencil pouch, wallet, notebook, gym clothes. My phone and ipod sharing my right hoodie pocket. _Yeah, seems I have everything._

I pull the sketchbook from my bag and start sketching- stretching my memory. Begging myself to remember the boy. I pay close attention to his hair, the way the water from the river slides from his hair in droplets. After finishing what the boy was wearing, my mind was running blanks. Everything was in perfect detail. Except one important thing. The face was completely blank.

On top of that, I could no longer remember the color of his hair. The shape of his eyes. The exact warmth of his smile. They seemed so clear in the dream, but now they're not even hope enough as they are a faded blur. I put my head against the sketchbook and let a silent scream escape my lips. I was becoming obsessed with this dream. This impossible memory.

The bell rang to go to class and I frowned, closing the sketchbook and putting it in the bag. After, I slowly trekked to the gym. Once I got inside, I went straight up to the hidden bleachers. Turning on my ipod and closing my eyes, I listen to Angel of Music from Phantom of the Opera. The movie made me fall in love with musicals, and Love itself.

The Phantom deserved much more than he had gotten, the poor man may have been a little mad but he loved Christine more than anything. She loved him, too, that much was obvious, but he kept pushing her away. So, she had no choice but to move on. Thank God for "Love Never Dies", the sequel, otherwise I'd never be satisfied with the story of Erik, Raoul, and Christine. In my opinion, though, Gerard Butler is the best Phantom (Erik) I've ever seen/heard.

I feel a presence, so I open my eyes and there's Todd sitting beside me with one of my buds in his ear. _How did I not notice?_ And talk about musically intruding, I guess satisfying his curiosity is more important than the sanctity of personal space when listening to music. His presence is familiar, so much so that I feel as though I could hold his hand, or something else inappropriate for our newly found friendship, and it would be brushed aside as normal.

I give myself to five to test this theory. I lay my arm on our shared armrest and forget once he smiles. "Copper, the last basketball game of the season is today. You're gonna come cheer me on, right?" I find myself nodding, "Why not?" His smile grows, I can tell it's real. We sit in silence, then I remember my experiment.

I carefully twitch my hand to where our hands touch slightly, my fingers rubbing against the insides of his and I flinch. It feels as though a warm, electric shock coursed through my body in that short millisecond. I mumble a sorry and he responds with an "It's okay". I can't help but think, _Is this kind of thing normal? To feel these things when touching your best friend?_

* * *

><p><strong><em>A.N.<em>**  
><strong><em>This vid is amazing, guys! <em>**

**_This is how I ALWAYS saw the movie (perspective-wise) when I was younger. _**

**_That perspective of mine inspiring me to write this story a year ago._**

**_(Though, I didn't start on it until much later lol) _**

**_If you have time, please watch the video! :)_**

**_The Fox And The Hound - I Lost A Friend by PookiezX3_**


	9. Comfort Least Expected

Nothing worth mentioning happens until after school. During the game. I see him run onto the court and play his heart out. I barely understand basketball, but I at least knew our school's team were winning by a shitload, as I was watching from an empty corner. No one bothered me, thankfully, and once, Todd even smiled and waved up to me. After the game, he met me as I was leaving, "Glad you came." he smiled, and I did too, but it faded all too quickly.

"Hey, Thaddekins." a girl said with a toothy grin, kissing Todd on the cheek. I wanted to hurl. Her hair was reddish-orange, like his except wavy in her braid , and she had curves in all the right places. She decided to flaunt these curves by wearing a tube top and pencil skirt, I wanted to punch her in her caked-in-makeup face but I'd rather not filthy my hands over something unworthy of the trouble.

He looks, almost distressed, between her and I. "Oh, who's this?" she asks with a slight edge, holding out her fingertips for me to shake. I almost do until I see her mani-pedi'd dragon claws. I mean, GOD, does she EVER cut her nails!? I rub my palm against my jeans, not even trying to fake a smile through my distaste. "I'll see you later, Thad, I got stuff I have to do. Great game." I walk to my truck and I hear thunking after me, I turn quickly and see Todd, stopped next to me.

"I'm sorry about that, Vixey get's a bit... overwhelming." he says slowly, looking for my approval to the statement. I give him none. "Vixey?" He laughs slightly, "My personal nickname for her when she isn't around. Her name is Trixey but she's very cunning, hence, Vixen plus Trixey equals Vixey." I smile, "Clever."

Todd smiles weakly, "Mind if I ride with you? She gave me a ride to school this morning and now she's pissed at me so..." I nod, "Sure. Hop in." We get in and start driving when he looks over at me with an exasperated sigh, "Dude, pull over, we need to talk. We really do." I nod limply and pull into the empty field beside the road. He gets out and climbs into the truckbed, I follow. "So what's wrong?" I ask. He bites his lip in discomfort.

"It's fine," I assure him. "just say it." He turns on his side, looking at me. I do the same. "She's mad at me because of you." he says slowly. I should feel angry, like he's blaming me, but it doesn't feel like that's the point he's making, so I let him continue. "She's angry because I've hung out with you instead of her." I'm about to ask why it matters when he continues talking, faster this time. "I mean, I kind of get where she's coming from. I haven't spent one second with her, or even talked to her since I met you. It's kind of freaking me out, to be honest." I suddenly understand the point he's trying to make, "She made you choose, didn't she?"

His eyebrows rise a little in discomfort. "You chose me, didn't you?" I say under a deep sigh, running a hand through my hair. He suddenly seems shaken, "Well, what should I do?! You're the only person I've gotten along with in God knows how long!" I swallow, trying to think through my words clearly before saying them, "You've only known me two days." His eyes dart, his eyes getting the same wild look he had when waking up before.

"Well, Romeo and Juliet ran away together after knowing each other like one night!" "Three." I corrected and he rolled his eyes, "They were fourteen too!" I sigh, exasperated, feeling as though I've had this argument some time before. "They were in LOVE, Todd! Completely different!" I yell back to him. "She cheats on me, you know." the idea shocked me, "And you stay with her?!" He grabs his forehead, "I did! But I broke up with her before I left!"

"Why now?! Why not when she cheated on you?!" I say angrily, now pissed off by the spineless bastard lying beside me. "Your obvious distaste showed me the truth! I don't need to be with her to be happy if I have you as my friend!" I stop, and lay back onto the truck bed. "I'm sorry." I whisper, hugging him slightly from the distance. Once I let go, I ask, "So why did you date her in the first place?" He smiles weakly, "Star of the basketball team, head cheerleader, you know the rest." I nodded, "Had you... you know."

"Have sex with her?" I nodded and he shook his head, "No, I didn't love her." I understand, I thought, and he seemed to know I was thinking it. "Thanks, you know, for letting me vent like that. I needed it." I shake my head, "No problem, let's get you home. It's dark now." He nods and we jump from the side, onto the ground before getting in the truck. The chill of winter bites slightly as I turn on the heat.

He directs me to his house and I walk him to the door. He thanks me and I'm about to step off the porch when I hear an older woman come to the door. "Thaddeus Tweed! How rude of you! Invite this kind young man, who brought you home, inside." His expression reads BUSTED as she ushers us inside. She smiles at me, "Call your folks and you can stay the night, it's much too late for you to drive this late at night. I look at my phone, it's almost midnight.

I nod, "Alright, I guess I can, good thing it's Friday." I spare a look at Todd who looks as if he wants to crawl under a rock and die. I call Amos and tell him I'm staying the night at a friend's, he says alright and hangs up. He trusts me enough to never be concerned. Once I get off the phone, Todd leads me to his room and he hands me a pair of pajama pants and a tee shirt from his dresser. I change in his bathroom and come out. He's already changed and in bed. I awkwardly crawl in on the other side, getting under the covers. He breathes. "Good night, Copper." I feel myself smiling as my back faces him, "Goodnight, Todd."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN<strong>_

_**Hey, guys! If you want to, go back and read chapter five! I'm redoing it. Nothing super important to the plot, though. Your choice. :)**_


	10. Connecting the Dots

**_I'm running with the boy, laughing, as we reached the river. I notice we are older, about thirteen, and he's still taller than me. We held hands as we laid on our backs beside the banks of the river. A train was arriving as we looked in each other's eyes, on our sides. He pulled me against his chest and I faced my back to him teasingly. "Copper, kiss me?" I felt myself nod as I leaned my head back and him, being much taller, leaning over me and kissing my lips._**

I wake up and Todd is asleep beside me, a hand on my waist as his forehead rests against the back of my head, his lips inches from my neck. My first thought: _Damn, why the hell do I have to be so short_? Second thought:_ Where am I? _Third, and final, thought: _HOLY SHIT! TODD! PERSONAL SPACE! CRAP! _At this point, as you can probably guess, I fell off the bed and onto the hardwood floor. _Dammit._ "You okay, Copper, I heard a crash- oh." I almost laugh at the irony of this scenario. Correction, I laughed anyway.

"What happened?" He asked in a concerned voice, helping me up from the bed. Once I stand, he leans up and sits on the edge as his feet touch the ground. I take an irritated breath, trying to sort through what happened. "I was cuddling you, wasn't I?" He asks, trying to hide a blush. "Yeah, good guess." He tried to apologize, "I'm sorry, I just had a weird dream and-"

Normally, I was never this curious. "Tell me about it?" I asked lightly. He was about to tell me when the older woman walked in with a small smile, "Come on, Todd and Company, breakfast." We nodded and followed after her into the kitchen. After getting our fill of bacon and pancakes, Tod and I are about to dismiss ourselves when she smiles, "Bye, I hope to see you again-" "Copper." Todd responded. Miss Tweed looked at me like I was a ghost. "Have a nice time, boys." she responded quietly while he and I got into my truck.

Once we drove away we went into the Starbucks and sat comfortably in a corner. We didn't order. "Well," he muttered. "The dream was like this:

**_I was under the old train tracks, next to the river, when someone around my age walks over to me and says, "I have to leave, now." I guessed we were about 8 or something. I look up at 'em and we're both crying and wishing they didn't have to go. By 'go', I guess they were moving somewhere far away. I don't remember much of the walk to their house but I do remember I gave them a memento to remember me by. It was a wood piece shaped like a sand dollar, that I had carved, with a 'T' in the middle and had a leather strip to it. I tied it around their neck and they smiled at the blood ritual scars on our arms from the Blood Brothers ritual, you probably know what that is. And once we were in front of their house, we hugged and I ran away yelling to hurry back. Then, the dream ends._**

There were others like this but that's the one from last night. And sorry about the spooning, I have a knack for cuddling whatever is in my bed while I'm asleep." This is not exactly the same as mine, but the river is in both of them. I swallow nervously, "Tell me the others." He nods, "Alright... Well, here's another one:

**_The person from before, I could never remember their name or face. Let's call them A to make this easier to explain. Well, I was playing by the fire pit close to the river one morning. I was around thirteen, I guess. I don't know what I was doing, but my back was facing the dug-in happened and the fire licked the back of my legs, startling me so I fell forward and into the water. I began drowning but didn't move out of shock. I kept sinking until A found me, and dove in- shoes still on- to save me. I hit the bottom before A could, though and tore the skin from the back of my knee to my heel. A carried me to the E.R. and stayed with me until I was all stitched up, then they helped me home._**

Now, here's the weird part. After I woke up, I checked my leg and the scar was there. I'd never really noticed it before but there it was. I asked my adoptive Mom, Willow*, to tell me about it. She told me I had a friend I used to sneak out to meet when I was 8. Then, they moved away soon after. They came again when I was 13 or something, just passing through, she told me, and I started meeting the friend again. She never told me their name, or anything. What I did know, though, was that I couldn't remember. Only these recent dreams kept popping up every time I slept."

I breathed out slowly, "When did it start?" He closes his eyes, thinking. "A few days ago." I swallow, "More specific. Was it the day before you met me at school?" We lock eyes and he nods, "Yeah... how did you know?" I crossed my arms tight over my chest, "That's when mine started."

I repeated all of my dreams to him, excluding the very first one. That was embarrassing. Then, after him having said nothing about so many of these romantic encounters of someone of the same gender, I mentioned it. His eyes almost bugged out of his head. "Then, we-" "Yeah," I finish. "We were childhood sweethearts."

A silence ensues and slowly, I gain the courage to speak. "Now, we have to connect the dots and find out why we forgot." He nods, "Well, mine probably came from trauma of my best friend leaving me after kissing me." he says it with such a silly grin I can't help but blush. "Mine probably came from the shock of you almost dying." Suddenly, things start rushing back, like the opening of a flood gate. And behind Todd's eyes, I see it too.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A.N.<strong>_

_**The original character was Widow Tweed, so I made it close in phonetics. **_


	11. Fox and Hound

We start talking about all we missed, all that happened in those years we were apart. It felt, I don't know, right. Then, when the management kicked us out for not buying anything, we drove to the field again and laid in the bed of my truck, chatting idly.

At one point, we both looked up and saw a small beagle pup run into the woods, chasing a fox kit. Being the curious people we are, we followed it. At that moment, I thought it was some kind of sign. I didn't know what kind, but I didn't care, my legs made me run faster to catch up. By the snapping twigs behind be sounded, I knew Todd was gaining on me.

Once I gained up on it I saw the fox caught in a bear trap. "Oh, no..." I say softly, trying to undo the snare without hurting him. Standing to the side, I see the beagle watching closely, his eyes seem empty. Maybe he didn't mean to hurt the fox, maybe he did... maybe he doesn't know what's going on.

Once it's free it tries to run but makes a loud cry of pain and collapses, twitching. I pick it up in my arms as Todd looks between the fox, the beagle, and I. He picks up the beagle pup and looks over at me, "We should get the fox to a clinic, and I'll see if there's any lost dogs. We nod and get into the truck with the animals. I hold the fox carefully in one arm as I steer with the other hand.

Once we get there, we rush inside, doing our part and meet once they've both been taken into the back to examine their situations. I'm shaky and jittery to the point I'm shivering. "They'll be alright." he tries to reassure me, patting my knee with his hand but I flinch under the touch. The fox was bleeding severely, it looked to have torn muscles and broken bones. Injuries scare me, and for good reason.

He noticed my unease and looked at me worriedly, "What's wrong? It's like you've seen a ghost." The thing is, I kind of did, in my own way. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me in a bit closer, whispering, "What's wrong?" The memories flooded back into my brain like a dam flood. "Flesh, blood... it freaks me out." a look of recognition crosses his face. "Oh."

A few minutes later a tall woman who looks more like a librarian than a vet, but who am I to judge? She smiles slightly, "We're going to keep them both overnight and see how things go. Be here tomorrow to check up on them, please. We nod and she leaves with an air of importance. It lingers when he and I get into my truck. "I'll drive you home." He nods and I pull up to his driveway and drop him off. There's a silence but he waves to me as I reverse out of the driveway. Once I leave, he sends me a text with instructions not to respond to since I'm driving. Something along the lines of 'thanks for today', I guessed.

Once I got home I got my dinner from the microwave and took it upstairs while Chief and Amos ate across from each other at the dining table. It was a silent understanding that if I didn't talk to them first, they didn't need to hold conversation. One of the few props of having dead parents, I guess.

I go into my room and call Todd from my cell. Another thing, my uncles own the landline, no cell phones. I'm the only one that has one in this house. For good reason, I think. I need privacy. Luckily, they understood that more than anything else.

Once he answers I feel like I'm going to explode. I need to tell him. He needs to know. "Todd, you asked what was wrong earlier. I want to tell you." He was silent for a beat, "Alright, I'm on my way over." Disconnection tone. Wait, he's coming over?! How in the hell does he expect me to get him inside? Through the front door, maybe, like normal people? my mind thought. I inwardly rolled my eyes, even my conscience is sarcastic. I text him to park a bit away and to meet me in the backyard. He agrees.

I sneak out through my window and crawl across the roof until I get to the balcony. Jumping onto it I take the back way out of the house. It's a direct outlet to the backyard. I found it on my first tour of the house before they bought the house. I guess I was thirteen or so at the time.

I go under the shady overhang of a willow tree in the backyard and he's already there. We exchange a silent acknowledgement and I sit beside him under the tree. I'd never told anyone this story before, and it hurt to remember.

The wind chime on the back porch made small clanging sounds in the breeze. Rustling of the tree around us was so loud it was as if trapped in a tornado, the wind whistling in our ears. The sun had set and the moon was high in the sky, making the surroundings dark except for the small light on the back porch shining through the branches.

I sigh, clenching my eyes shut. "You can't interrupt. No talking until I'm done, alright?" I ask, opening my eyes for a brief second to look at him, he nods.

"It's kind of a long story so I'll start from the beginning. Or maybe just the beginning of that day should suffice." I breathe, "I knew something was going to happen that day. I was excited. Until later on that day, when I finally found out that feeling in the pit of my stomach, anguish. That was the day my parents died."

* * *

><p><em><strong>A.N.<strong>_

_**Hey, loyal readers and new-comers, welcome. I may not update as quickly as before because I'm having a really hard time with my life right now. Due to that, I may not update as fast but I'll try. Another thing: there are five, at most, chapters left in this story (I think) so it's not too bad. Some reviews would be great. Constructive criticism is good too.  
><strong>_

_**Thanks, guys!  
><strong>_

_**~Elijah X. Blackwood  
><strong>_


	12. Ghosts in Passing

**_It was a cold September morning, September 17th to be exact. The wind was blowing softly with chilling air, contrasting the unusual heat of the day. I had woken up at 3 a.m. because of a reoccurring nightmare._**

**_A nightmare of running through the woods until I fell off a cliff, slowly falling to my demise. I always got a good look at my surroundings. The vine-laced dirt walls of the cliff, the running of water down the walls in a quiet whisper, then I'd flip and stare into the azure depths of the cloudless sky._**

**_The sun would rise and set many times before I lost count. I'd flip forward this time, staring into the bottom that was soon approaching. The river flowed freely, calmly and I'd feel a small relief._**

**_Maybe, just maybe, I would survive the fall. Then, when that thought crosses my mind, part of the walls near the bottom fold away and expose dense forests. I want to call for help but I can't catch my breath. Then, right before I hit the jagged rocks in the river, I wake up._**

**_That dream always left shivers down my spine. The dream never scared me, it felt like an escape. A neverending purge of fear, a sense of relief. I never understood it until that day._**

**_I ended up getting ready early and reading until it was time to leave, 7A.M. My parents and I were going to go to this new restaurant on the edge of town. It was supposed to have the best cheesecake in the area. We got in the car and started driving up the backroads leading to town._**

**_I remember... the leaves were blowing lightly behind the car. I remember sitting on my feet, unbuckled, and staring out the back window. I remember smiling to myself, my unpierced lips laughing and calling out to her._**

**_"Mom, look, it's like the leaves are chasing us!" She laughed, looking in her mirror as she put on her pale pink lipstick, "Cobre Lee Slade, put on your seatbelt!" I laughed too, "Alright." Clicking in the belt I noticed something._**

**_At this point I noticed my dad wasn't wearing his seatbelt and his big, muscular stature made him look strange in the SUV. He looked like he should be driving a Harley, but his complacent smile and secret, loving looks over at my mom showed his true nature._**

**_I smiled, looking over at my mother. After applying her lipstick she entwined her fingers with my fathers with his hand on the gear shift. They looked so wrong for each other. My mother a beautiful, kindred woman with long legs and long, wavy brown hair that was always left down. I loved to brush her soft, flowing hair._**

**_My father was average, even a little scary, but my mother was almost so beautiful it was unreal. And yet they were so in love, like the first day they met. At that moment, I knew that more than anything I wanted a love like that. To find my other half._**

**_I smile, "Pull over, please! I see something!" My father nods, speaking only when necessary, "Take your time, we'll wait in the car." We pulled over to the side of the road and they began talking._**

**_I ran into a small field by the road and picked what I wanted: a wild daisy. They were my mother's favorite flower. I turned around, running back towards the car when my world seems to stop._**

**_It seems as if everything in slow motion. To this day, I believe it did. For the pure reason that if there is a god, he wants to make my life miserable._**

**_I see a eighteen-wheeled semi that braked too quickly. A failed attempt at slowing down. The driver loses control. "Mom, Dad!" I yell, but it's too late. The metal containment begins spinning sideways with the truck. Then, even slower, it breaks off and starts to roll on top of my parents' SUV, crushing it._**

**_Even now I can hear the crunching of metal and the dying screams of my parents. I sunk to my knees, in shock, and fisted my fingers in my shoulder-length hair. I pulled at my hair, screaming at the top of my lungs as I leaned into the grass._**

**_My parents were dead. So crushed they became unrecognizable, the driver had been drunk and made it out with a few bruises. It's unfair, but it's the way things go. Life stabs you in the back and expects you to keep on fighting, as if nothing happened._**

**_I understood what the dream meant. The fall is the best part of life, because nothing can stop you. The closer you get to the ground, your mortality comes to the forefront... but maybe, at the last minute, something will save you. In this case... I slowly realized I had to save myself. In life, you can't wake up from your problems._**

**_You have to face them. To be honest, facing my problems isn't something I'm keen on doing but I have help. I have a sanctum of relief, and that's you, Todd._**

**_I have no idea why but I think we both know that the bond we share isn't normal. It's special. I don't know why but I know, deep down things can never be the same between us. Whatever happened when we were kids really doesn't really matter anymore.  
><em>**

**_What matters is that we're in this together. Until we completely regain our memories together we have to stay close. We can't let the uncertainty of what happened drive a wedge between us. Alright?_**

* * *

><p>Todd is quiet for a while before I hear him whisper, "Wow." I feel anger rise in me. Had he listened to ANYTHING I'd just said?! "'Wow.' that's all you can say?" I say in disgust, standing. He stands too, "I didn't mean it like-" I roll my eyes, "Of course you didn't 'cause you're fucking <strong>perfect<strong>, aren't you?!" I know that hurt but my mouth keeps going. **  
><strong>

"You know, Copper, I'm not perfect. Not even close. I was hoping you of all people understood that." he says flatly. I want to take my words back, but my pride won't let me. "How?! Just because you don't have a mommy or daddy to baby you?!" I know I went too far. I was being a hypocrite. I hear him take a shaky breath, "My parents abandoned me and my old babysitter took me in after finding me alone in a fucking **crib** with a note saying to 'make sure to feed', like I was some animal!"

Now I really feel bad. "Todd, I'm sorry.." He scoffs, "Save it, Copper. You're right. I'm fucking **perfect** and I don't **need** **you**!" I felt myself die inside as I started crying uncontrollably. "Goddamn it.." Silence. "Copper..." he grabs my shoulder and I sob harder. "Are you really that insecure, Copper?" he asks softly, hugging me. I can't speak and I don't think he can either. We cry together in silence, like two halves of a whole. Soulmates.


	13. The Memory Clarification

After the crying stopped we just hugged each other. "Tell me more... what do you think happened when we were kids?" I thought back and fought back a blush, I remember telling him about those dreams. Including the one when we kissed but either he's choosing to ignore it or he's forgotten.

"Well, the first time I came here.. it was to be on vacation. We were on a roadtrip and stopped here for a week. I met you at the river. I had fallen, scraped my knee or something, and you helped me bandage it." He nodded, wanting me to continue.  
><strong><br>_Then, as we sat by the river you said "What's your name, I've never seen you before?" Then, with a grin, I said, "Cobre Lee Slade." You laughed, "Cobra?" I rolled my eyes, "Co-bray. Cobre." You nodded, repeating, "Cobre..."_**

**_Then you waited a second, "wait doesn't that mean copper?" I nodded in disbelief, "How'd you know?" and you smirked with pride, "Read it in one of my picture books." I smiled, "What's your name?" _**

**_You scratched the back of your head, embarrassed, "Uhm, Thaddeus Hardik Tybalt." I smile, "That's cool- but a bit long-winded. How about Todd?" Mind you, I meant to say Thad but it came out as a slur. You smiled, "Okay. Todd it is."_**

**_From that point on, I ended up calling you Todd, even after I lost the slur. It became a habit for it to come out that way so it stuck. A few days later, the last time we met, you were in the river, swimming. After spotting you, I slipped in when your back was turned and surprised you._**

**_You laughed, saying I scared you and hugged me. It got a bit awkward but we just kept hugging each other. We decided to play in the water and had a splash fight. We got in, soaking our clothes through. You were much better at it than me, splash fighting. You had this big, satisfied grin on your face, to be honest it looked quite angelic._**

**_I was so jealous of it that I pushed you and you fell over. Then, once you landed you asked me why I pushed you, "Because I want your smile, Todd!" I'd yelled at you. You smiled impishly in response, pulling my wrist. I fell on top of you and you kissed me. "Now it's yours, and only yours, Copper." you told me. We were too young to perceive it as out of the ordinary, I guess. _**

**_At one point, after we finished playing, we fell asleep by the firepit. It got dark and my parents got worried, as did your guardian. I woke up when I heard my name and I woke you up too. It took you a while, so I kind of watched you sleep. Not in a creepy way though, you just seemed so serene._**

**_I knew my parents and I were going to leave the next day. I exchanged a pinkie-promise with you, that I would see you again before I left. Of course we saw each other the next day. When you gave me that necklace..._**

**_From what you told me, you never got caught with me that time. My parents just thought I got lost. They weren't angry, just relieved. At that time, you didn't know Willow wasn't your mom or grandma, I guess, because you always referred to her as Mom. At least, back then you did. _**

**_You remembered correctly, by the way, I did meet you at the bridge to tell you I was leaving. You apparently started making that necklace for me the day you met me. As a memento, I guess. I was so happy that I never took it off... unless I got near water, of course. I ended up only giving you a scar._**

**_The one on the back of your leg... it's partly my fault. I'll get to that when I come to it, though. I came back when I was thirteen, after my parents died. My parents had died a week after going home from the trip, which I found out later was actually a search for a new house. I moved in with my uncles from my mother's side. We came back here to look at houses to live. _**

**_They didn't currently have the money but they were going to save up depending on the price. It wasn't until later on that I found out that the house they were planning on buying was the same one my parents wanted to buy. I felt nothing, just pure numbness. By this time, I'd picked up guitar and took it everywhere with me. _**

**_I remembered you, obviously, and went to wait for you by the river. I was playing my acoustic, practicing a song I was learning at the time, and was singing along, trying to remember the exact tempo. I heard you walk up behind me, I don't know it was you though until you said my name. I smiled, looking over my shoulder at you, "Hey, Todd, miss me?"_**

**_Nothing really happened from there, we went home before dark and snuck out later that night and met at the river. I played some songs on guitar and we started dancing around the campfire. At one point, I started singing a song my mother loved to sing to me when I was young. I was singing Sound of Silence* as we were dancing slowly. Then we started dancing together as I sang, like, slow dancing I think._**

**_We ended up leaving a few hours before sunrise as not to get caught. After sleeping we met back there at 6 am or so, and were chasing each other around the campfire. There was apparently heat still smoking up from the fire cause as soon as you got too close you tried to jump away from it and fell into the water. Out of shock you stopped moving, drowning yourself. I jumped in after you but I didn't get to you quick enough because you hit the bottom and your leg got cut open and burned, bleeding out. _**

**_Obviously, I freak out, pulled you out of the water. One I made sure you were breathing I wrapped your arm around my shoulder and led you to the hospital a couple blocks away. I waited until you got stitched up and walked you home. You told Willow about me that night, I never told my uncles, I was better left off as the loner, depressed nephew they should leave alone or he'll break. _**

**_Once your leg got better a few days later, it was my last day before going back. I knew it'd be the last time I'd see you before moving here permanently. I tried to stay positive. We ran together, laughing, as we reached the river. _**

**_It was an unsaid agreement that this was the last day so we had to make the best of it. I don't remember when but we ended up holding hands and laid under the bridge over the river. A train passed overhead, making it dark for a while. _**

**_We looked in each other's eyes, on our sides. You pulled me in a hug, my back to you... and you whispered "Copper, kiss me?" I felt myself nod as I leaned my head back and you, being much taller, leaning over me and kissing me. I left the next day, I couldn't bear to say goodbye so... I left the necklace you gave me on your window with a note that said: We'll meet again, we always do..._**

**_The story is a lot more embarrassing to say now that I really am sure it was you. Beside the point, though, my point is to say that, yes, all of our memories were intact. I assume you regained yours by hearing the story but even so we can't pick up where we left off, that would be stupid..._**

There's another silence and I run my fingers through my hair, this lack of conversation is a bit creepy. I look up and the sun is slowly rising, how long had we been out here? He stands and makes a jerking motion with his head, silently telling me to follow.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em>A.N.<em>

_Sorry about the memory stuff again but a lot of it before was vague so I decided to clear that up_

_Plus, I'm addicted to writing these long-winded memory chapters._

_That, and I realized the story is called Memory Shift but had a lack of memories lol_

_Anyway, that should be the end of the long-winded memory thing._

_I should be done with this fic in a chapter or two, plus an epilogue chapter :)_


	14. Admittance and Relation

I followed until we reached his car and we got inside as he drove into town. Unable to take the silence I said in a low voice,"Todd, can we talk about this? This silence is killing me." I look over at me and from the corner of his eye he has a frenzied stare. I know what he's thinking, I can feel it. "Just a little longer, please wait until then." his eyes told me.

"Alright, Todd, I'll wait." I responded, looking over at him. His face softened, relaxed. He pulls into the field and after we get out, he walks over to me and takes my wrist, leading me into the woods. I feel something pulling at my memories but I can't understand how or why.

Once we get deep in the woods, the trees begin to get more sparse. The silence is calm, and the heat radiating where his hand is wrapped around my wrist, becomes a silent reminder that we're still friends. We're here together. Like old times, we only have the other to depend on.

We're walking at an incline now, and he helps me up when I need it. We're still silent, only the sound of our breath, and the crunching of leaves and twigs, to break it. We finally reach the top and we're on a cliff. An overhang over the entire city, you can see everything.

"Wow." escapes my lips and Todd smiles over at me. "I wanted to wait until the right moment to tell you. Copper, I've waited all this time for you and I don't regret it. What I want more than anything is for you to be happy." He sits a few feet away from the edge, sticking his legs away from the overhang. I sit beside him and we watch the sun finishing it ascent into the sky.

He takes a curt breath, mulling his words over. "I forgot about you to keep myself from getting hurt. I never knew when you would be back. It hurt me to think you would leave again. I stayed here and moved on. I started dating Vixey, kissed her, I even had sex with her once or twice."

Jealousy rose in me. Anger too. I wanted to punch him. I wanted to slap that bitch Vixey. More so, though, I felt hurt. I may not have been in his memory but it still stung. I wanted to go clingy drama queen on his ass with the whole "how dare you cheat on me with that skank" rant but swallowed it. I'm not dating him, I have no place to say.

He watches my inner war and looks away quickly, breathing again, "I know what I did was wrong and I shouldn't have betrayed you like that, even if I didn't have my memories, I hurt you. I would never hurt you on purpose, Copper. Never." I feel like my gut's been ripped out.

He holds my hand in his and I want to feel disgusted but I don't. I lean my head against his shoulder, exhausted. "Copper, remember when we found that abandoned church right before I took you home the day before you left?" I nod, vaguely remembering the disheveled pale blue evangelical church.

"Do you know what I want to relive from that day?" I shook my head, watching the town slowly wake up. "I want to see that smile on your face again. I want to relive the moment I promised we would be together forever..."

I suddenly remember. We found the church and we married ourselves. I wanted to cry in nostalgia, how things were so simple then...

I look over at him and he's watching me, "Take a picture, it'll last longer." I said dryly and he laughed. He slowly entwines our fingers and I get my head from his shoulder. "Todd, answer this question honestly. What do you think of me?"

Silence. He looks away, ignoring the question. I guess I have to get his attention. I blush inwardly, I can't believe I'm about to do this... I make sure no blush reaches my cheeks as I sit on his lap, straddling him. "Todd, answer me."

He looks at me and a dark blush crosses his cheeks. He looks me up and down then meets my eyes again. I laugh inwardly, this is kinda funny, seeing him like this. I wrap his arm around my waist, still holding his other hand. "Todd, what do you think of me?"

Silence. I frown on the inside, this is going to be harder than I thought. I move my head to his neck, kissing it as I'm overtaken by the smell of Old Spice and honeysuckle shampoo. I feel his fingers dig into my sides, "Stop, Copper..."

"Tell me." I pulled away, looking in his eyes. I let go of his hand cross my arms over my chest, "Todd, I really like you. Like, like you, like you. Maybe even in love with you. I just want a goddamn response." His eyes widen in shock. He makes no move to speak...

Actions speak louder than words. He pulled me against him and kissed me. I put my hands behind his head, deepening the kiss. His hands run under the hem of my shirt and my body feels like it's on fire. "I love you." he said with a goofy smile, biting my ear.

I laugh, "Get a tongue piercing so I can play with it." He bites around my lip ring teasingly, then moves to kissing my neck. You boys and girls know what happened next, so let's skip ahead.

_** XxXx **_

I lay beside him on the cliff, watching the sun. "You know school's probably over by now." he mentions and I slap my head, "Fuck." He laughs, "Yes, we did, and it was wonderful." I laugh, hitting him playfully.

He kisses my shoulder, "You know, I may have had sex with Vixey but I made love to you. Completely different. Plus you moan much sexier." My face flushes, "At least I'M not a screamer!" He hides his face in my shoulder, half laying on me. We flush and laugh, "Want to announce our dating to the fam?"

He smiles, leaning his head on mine, "Yeah, telling them about the engagement now is too much for them right now. By the way.. should we hide the hickeys or.." I laugh, "I'm not ashamed." He smiles, kissing the back of my neck, "Good, neither am I. Come to the next basketball game in booty shorts. I want my team to see your perfect and envy me.

I lean my head into the grass, laughing hysterically. "Alright, I'll even wear a shirt that says 'Thad wants the D, mine to be specific'." We laugh again and stand, getting dressed.

Walking hand-in-hand towards my uncle's house, Todd calls Willow and tells her to meet us there. This will be fun. Good thing Chief and Amos cancelled their date night in advance or we'd be walking in on foreplay... oh god. That image won't leave my brain. Thank you, brain. Todd gets in the car with me and we drive towards the house. This is as good as it gets.


	15. Epilogue (with Guest Appearances!)

Todd and I were doing our usual morning routine of getting a coffee before school when I look over and see three guys in a booth discussing 'haunted' places in the area. Being the curious person I am, I slide into the seat beside the one with the longish brown hair. They are shocked by my intrusion. They drove in with the Impala identical to Todd's, I noticed, as he bought the coffee.

"First off, no places around here are 'haunted', per say, but there is a large amount of sulfur deposits by the abandoned church on Young and Tenth street. Large amounts of EMF near the old factory on Query Avenue. Oh, and sightings of strange shadowy figures in all the alleyways on the next block over."

With this, they stare at me. Particularly the one beside me. "And you know this how?" he asks. I smile, "Had a demonology/ghost hunting phase. Call me if you have any questions." I hand them my number and Todd comes over, laughing, "Babe, what did I tell you about picking up strange men?" I laugh, "Oh, no worries, blondie over there is with the doe-eyed guy. This guy beside me may be sexually frustrated but he isn't my type, plus he's into the intelligent, female type; like Bane."

I stand, smiling at them, "Bye... uh," Doe-eyes speaks up, a permanently confused look on his face, "Sam and Dean Winchester, I'm Castiel." I smile, "Bye, guys. Oh, and Dean, be careful with Cassie there, he looks like a screamer." I smile politely and Todd hits me playfully in an 'idiotyoudon'tsaythatshittocompletestrang ers' way. Sam laughs, "He pinned you. So you like Castiel, Dean?" Dean huffs irritably, "Speak for yourself. Bitch." "Jerk." Castiel frowns, looking at Dean seriously, "What's 'a screamer'?" he asks as Todd and I walk away. Sam guffaws loudly.

_I did a good thing_, I think, smiling to myself.

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><p><strong><em>A.N.<em>**

**_Oh my god, I had SO much fun writing this XD_**

**_This was originally going to be an epilogue _**

**_Then, my rationality went down the tubes_**

**_So, HERE IT IS~! :D_**

**_ Anyway, thanks for reading my shit guys~!_**

**_Read more of my other fics, please~! :D_**

**_LOVE YOU ALL~!_**

**_~Elijah X. Blackwood_**

**_the Deastiel shipper! =D_**


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